AI short dramas, first loosen the boundaries of the themes

Mon, 04 May 2026 13:57:52 +0800

Watching AI short dramas these past couple of days, my biggest takeaway wasn’t how visually stunning they are, but rather how much it has broadened the scope of genres/subjects. Previously, in live-action short dramas, things like zombies, armies, or mythical fantasy creatures weren’t impossible to shoot; it was just too expensive and required too much staging and logistics. Consequently, producers often had to stick to ‘safe bets’ like office life, family drama, misunderstandings, or reversals of fortune. Using AI for this is actually a perfect match.

What Changes First Is Not the Quality, But the Subject Matter

I think this is pretty obvious. The initial focus for AI short dramas isn’t on whether they look realistic, but rather on whether they can simply produce these kinds of stories first.

Kuaishou rolled out Kelin very early on. According to official statements, it is capable of handling complex spatio-temporal movements, physical properties, and camera control. They later showcased the country’s first original AIGC fantasy short drama, Shanhai Qijing: Splitting Waves and Chopping Waves. Moving forward, Kelin 3.0 continues to emphasize narrative control and shot consistency.

Looking at these points together, the message is quite direct: AI’s initial focus isn’t on “improving the aesthetics” of live-action short dramas; rather, it’s on “expanding their themes/genres.”

Themes have been temporarily scaled back due to costs

For live-action short dramas, the biggest danger is stumbling into an insurmountable cost sink/black hole.

If you want to shoot a military drama, extras, costumes, sets, and action choreography—it all costs money. If you want to film zombies, makeup, special effects, lighting, and post-production—it all costs money. If you want to film mythical creature fantasy, world-building, props, visual effects, and cinematic language—it all costs money. Many genres aren’t inherently unmarketable; it’s just that halfway through filming, you realize your budget can’t sustain the production anymore.

Therefore, I am more inclined to view AI short dramas as a kind of “thematic enabler.” Over the past two years, people in the industry have clearly stated that AI short dramas will first impact high-cost live-action productions. With the same budget, AIGC is better suited for testing genres like epic fantasy (Da Xuan Huan) that were previously difficult to tackle. I agree with this assessment.

In other words, by lowering the hurdle of what is “feasible,” AI naturally loosens the subject matter.

But the threshold has merely shifted

However, this does not mean that AI short dramas are guaranteed to succeed/be an instant winner.

It merely solves the issue of whether it can be filmed; the truly difficult part later is how well it can be narrated. Furthermore, current industry reports state very plainly that AI short dramas are not necessarily cheaper than live-action dramas everywhere. What is actually saved is mostly in large areas such as actors, sets/scenery, and costume/makeup (production design). The grander the subject matter, the easier it is for the worldview to become incoherent, for characters to lack consistency, and for the shots to look fake. Being able to generate a spirit beast does not mean you can place it into a believable story.

So my current judgment is simple: AI short dramas will first tackle genres and themes that previously seemed too expensive or unfeasible; what it truly changes is the upper limit of short drama themes, not directly eliminating live-action short dramas.

References

Writing Notes

Original Prompt

AI short dramas have significantly expanded the themes of the short drama vertical, including zombies, military, and spiritual beast fantasy. Previously, controlling the production costs for these genres in live-action short dramas was difficult, making AI an ideal fit.

Summary of Writing Ideas

Start with the main thesis upfront: AI short dramas first change genre boundaries, not aesthetic conclusions.
Use the cost structure of live-action shooting to explain why genres such as zombies, military action, spirit beasts, and fantasy are better suited for AI.
Anchor the facts using official information regarding Kuaishou’s Kelin and AIGC short dramas, but do not write it as a product review/introduction.
The conclusion should deliberately avoid discussing platform competition or commercial monetization, focusing instead on the core narrative: “what can be produced” (technical feasibility) and “how compelling the storytelling is.”

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